News flash - Church Road to reopen Sunday night

We've been informed this afternoon that Church Road is to reopen on Sunday night.

All the civil engineering work has been completed today. The road surface is temporary until the various utility companies have re-diverted their apparatus, following which the final surface course will be laid (which will also take into account surrounding defective areas).

Temporary vehicle restraint barriers and 3-way lights shall be installed on Sunday night, at which point the road can then be re-opened, estimated to be around midnight. The vehicle messaging signs will automatically update to say "Church Road now open" at midnight.

All ready for the new school term on Monday - well done to all involved.

Dairy farm building approved

This afternoon plans to build a dairy farm building next to the wind turbine south of the B4465 at Wapley were unanimously aproved by the DC (East) planning committee.

Have your say on council solar schemes

Next week South Glos Council will be holding exhibitions on plans to install ground mounted solar PV schemes on land it owns next to the Badminton Road Council offices and between the M4 and the A4174 Ring Road at Moorend.

The schemes are much smaller than the commercial schemes in the area, approximately 2.5 acres at Badminton Road and 5 at Moorend, compared to over 100 acres at Says Court Farm for example. The aim is to supply electricity for the Badminton Road offices, reducing running costs at a time of rising energy prices and reducing carbon emissions by 700 tonnes a year. Both of the sites are only low grade agricultural land, having been used for landfill or sewage works previously.

The pre-planning consultation runs until 10th September. When the formal plans are submitted in late September there will be the usual opportunity for local residents to comment then too.

The exhibition will be in the reception area of the council offices on Badminton Road on Monday 1 September between 3pm and 7pm and on Tuesday 2 September between 3pm and 8pm.

Your Focus Team has already asked for assurance that the Badminton Road scheme won't stop the Nibley Park and Ride being built in the future.

Council Chairman to skydive for charity

Chairman of South Gloucestershire Council, and Ladden Brook Ward Councillor Howard Gawler, will plunge 10,000 feet from a plane on Sunday 7 September to raise money for charity.

Howard will be undertaking a tandem skydive to raise funds for the South Gloucestershire based Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), one of his chosen Chair’s charities for the year. This will involve him free-falling through the air (without the parachute deployed) for 5,000 feet at around 120 mph, before safely parachuting to the ground. He will be harnessed to a professional parachute instructor at all times throughout the descent. Howard's niece Sarah Farthing, from Wick in South Gloucestershire, will also be taking part in the skydive.

Howard said: “I’m really looking forward to my debut skydive in aid of this very worthy cause, the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity. Any one of us may be thankful for the air ambulance’s life saving services at some point in our lives and I’m proud to give them my support."

“The charity doesn’t receive any government or National Lottery funding, which means they rely entirely on the generosity of local people to continue operating. I hope to raise as much money for them as possible, so please visit the dedicated Just Giving page to sponsor my jump or to make a donation.”

To make a donation please visit the Chair’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/ChairsCharity2014 You can find out more about the Great Western Air Ambulance at www.greatwesternairambulance.com

New bridge deck successfully installed

On Sunday the new Church Road bridge deck was on site by 7am, earlier in the day than expected, and installed soon afterwards. You can go back through the photos taken by the time lapse camera at https://m.lobstervision.tv/framptoncotterell#projects.

Work continued through Sunday and Monday fixing the dowels at the bridge ends into place and setting up for the kerb installation over the bridge.

This week they will be finishing grouting the ends of the bridge in place (which is taking a little bit longer than anticipated), surfacing the bridge deck, laying kerbs and installing temporary barriers. The anticipated date when the bridge will be open for use to traffic with three way traffic signals in place is Thursday 4th September.

The street lights on the pedestrian refuges along Badminton Road were removed to allow the wide load to pass on Sunday morning. Initially officers were only planning to reinstate two of them, but after ward councillor Claire Young took up residents' concerns they agreed they would all be reinstated in the next couple of weeks.

Consultation on plans for footpath on Dodington Road

In March, the Frome Vale Area Forum awarded funding for a new length of footpath on Dodington Road, in response to safety concerns raised by local residents.

Local people now have an opportunity to comment on the proposals. You can view the plans online and email comments to transportservices@southglos.gov.uk - the deadline for comments is Tuesday 9th September.

The consultation period is relatively short so that the work can be done at the same time as an Abbotswood, Yate scheme.

Have your say on Council Tax Reduction Scheme

South Glos wants your views on proposed changes to the local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS).

In April 2013, CTRS replaced the national council tax benefit. Depending on their income and other factors, people may be entitled to money off their council tax bill. With reduced funding, last year the council had to make some difficult decisions about how best to protect the most vulnerable. The scheme for 2014/15 placed people into 8 income bands with an 80% discount for the lowest income band and smaller discounts as you went up the bands. The Lib Dems successfully proposed giving the maximum discount to those who would have qualified for a disability premium under the old scheme.

The council is now consulting on further changes. It is proposing to reduce the number of income bands and also wants yor comments on whether young adults leaving care who are liable to pay council tax and are eligible for a reduction in their council tax should receive the maximum discount. Those would have qualified for a disability premium will still get the maximum discount. Older people who are eligible for state pension credit will continue to be assessed under a national scheme and will not be affected by the proposed changes.

The consultation runs until Monday 22 September. You can find out further information and comment online.